pratt



Get. 2, 1928.

C. A. PRATT MINING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet C. A.PRATT MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 14, 1925 C. A. -PRATTMINING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FTUQWZfi!" marks/22M? mam/mam.

Cater-neg Patented Get. 2, i923.

UNITED CHARLES A. PRATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GOODMANMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MINING MACHINE.

Application filed September 14, 1925. SerialNo. 56,151.

This invention relates to mining machines and more particularly tomining machines of the continuous cutter type. More specifically, thisinvention relates to machines of the class described which areespecially adapted for cutting in thin seams of coal.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedmeans for discharging the cuttings or slack which is brought rearwardlyfrom the kerf by the out ter chain. I

Otherobj ects of the invention may appear from time to time as thedescription proceeds. 7 The invention consists of the combination,construction and arrangement of the various parts as will hereinafter bedescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings and moreparticularly defined in the appended claims.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a mining machine to which Ihave applied my invention, with the gear housing cover removed to showthe parts thereunder;

Figure 2 is a right side elevation of the ma. chine;

Figure 3 is a plan view of-the rearward portion, withparts broken awayto show de tails of the sweeping device for clearing away the slackcuttings; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the rearward portion of the machine withparts removed to show the sweeping mechanism.

Figure 5 is across-section showing details of the planetary device shownin Figure 1, and taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

'My invention is shown as applied to an improved type of mining machinewhich forms the subject matter of a companion application, hence onlysuch details as apply to the construction and operation of the dischargemeansthe subject of this applica tionwill be described.

It will be understood however, that the present invention may be appliedwith equal effectiveness to any mining machine of the continuous cuttertype.

The machine illustrated. comprises a main frame A having a cuttingelement 1 project-' a ing therefrom. This cutting element is preferablyprovided with an endless cutter chain of the usual pattern, which isdriven by a motor B located adjacent the rear of the machine, throughsuitable gearing, to cut a horizontal kerf in the mine wall as themachine A second rope 6 is anchored at the opposite end of the workingface and is arranged over suitable pulleys 7 and 8 at the side and rearend of the machine frame, to a second drum 9, at the right side of themachine forwardly of the motor B and being also rotatable on atransverse axis. Driving mechanism between the rope drums and the motorB need not be described herein as they form no part of the presentinvention.v

A cutter. chain, comprising a series of blocks and straps of the usualform, moves in'guides 10 formed in the cutter bar 1. Said cutter bar issupported on the main frame by suitable clamps. The cutter chain passesabout a sprocket 13 located near the rear end of the cutter bar andbetween the motor and rope drums Within a housing or passageway formedbeneath a gear housing 14 between side walls 15 and 16 and abase plate17 upon which the machine tests or slides upon the .formedjbetween thecutter bar and the side walls 15 and 16 but with the greatest tendencyof the cuttings to be discharged and thrown rearwardly by the cutterchain as it I passes about its sprocket 13. This sprocket forms ineffect a fixed guide, about which the direction of movement of thecutter chain is changed.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to providemeans for'discharg- Inn ing these cuttings as they are broughtrearwardly into the housing surrounding the cutter arm and chainsprocket, so that the accumulations of cut-tings will not clog themachine or be carried back by the cutter chain into the kerf. As shownin Figures 2 and 4, the motor B is contained in a motor housing I), thishousing being somewhat higher than the base plate 17 upon which themachine rests. This arrangementproduces av low passageway 18 extendingrearwardly below the motor casing and connnunicates with the higherpassageway formed. in front of the motor casing and beneath the'gearhousing, above the cutter chain; Manifestly, in order to reduce theheight of the entire machine as low as possible, commensurate with thesuccessful operation thereof, it is desirable to reduce the height ofthe passageway to a .1inimum-.

In the present invention, I provide an improved means for ejecting thecuttings from adjacent the rear end of the cutter chain through the rearand side of the machine be- .icath th motor, this means requiring a minimum of height for its successful operation and being capable of handlinga large amount of cuttings. Y

As disclosed in the drawings, this improved means comprises a sweep orarm 19 adapted to have oscillating movement in asubstantially horizontalplane along the base platel'T. In the preferred form shown this sweep iskeyed to a shaft 20 having pivotal bearing on a vertical axis near therear and to one side of the main motor housing 6 so that the sweep isadapted to oscillate through an arc of approximately 90 degrees, withthe extreme rearward position thereof coinciding substantially with therear margin of the bottom plate 17 while its extreme position in theopposite direction is substantially coincident with the side margin ofthe bottom plate 17. The sweep may be suitably driven by the motor B, inthe form shown, the operating con-- n-ections comprisinga lever arm 21on the upper end of the shaft 20 and connected with a link 28 to a leverarm 24, pivotally mounted at 25 in the gear housing 14 forwardly of themotor casing 5 as best shown in Figure 3. The opposite arm of the lever24 is connectedwith a link 26 to crank arm 27 on a vertically disposedshaft 28 having a worm gear 29 thereon meshed with a worm 30 looselymounted on a horizontal shaft 82', as best shown in Figure 1. The worm30 is rotated by a gear 31 which is driven by a low speed gear 33connectedwith a 'planetarygear reduction device 34 of the well knowntype, for instance, as shown in theapplication of Thomas E. Pray, S. N.69,228, iiled on November 16, 1925, and consists of a sun gear 48 keyedon a longitudinal shaft and meshed with a plurality of planetary gears49, 49, carried in a cage 50 loosely mounted for rotation on the shaft35.

Said cage is provided with a hub 51' having the pinion 33 with anintegral sleeve 52 feathered thereon. A casing 53 surrounds the cage 50and has a hub portion 54 loosely mounted for rotation on the sleeve 52of the gear 33. The casing 53 is normally restrained from rotation bymeans of a suitable friction band 56 which actuated by controlling meanscomprising the usual tightening lever system (not shown). Thus whenexcessive loads on the feed mechanism are encountered the tension of thefriction band on the casing 53 is such as to permit the latter to slipand thereby minimize the danger of breakage of parts of the gear train-The shaft 35 is in turn connected with the motor B through gears Zlfiand37. With this arrangement the sweep 19 is swung angularly at reducedspeed so as to remove the cuttings alternately toward the side and rearof the machine time moving the cuttings alternately toward. each of twoemission openings and so spreading the cuttings over twice the floorarea available if only one opening were provided and discharge them asrapidly as they are brought back by the cutter chain. i

As a further improvement 1. construct the end portion of the sweep so asto be extended at one portion of its movement. and retracted 4 atanother thereby accommodating vitself more approximately to the. shapeof the discharge passage and cooperating with the cutter chain as itpasses about. the. driving sprocket 13, and thus assist. in dischargingthe. cuttings therefrom in the most eflicient manner. In the form shownthis means comprises a telescoping end portion 38' carrying a lug-39engaging a fixed guide means 40 and 41, herein shown as flanged piecessecured to the 1111- I der surface of the motorcasing b. The outer endportion 38 is provided with a guide rod 42 carrying a web 43 at theinner end thereof and extending in acylimler44. A tension spring 45 issecured in. said cylinder between the web 43 and a fixed shoulder 46 insaid cylinder, the arrangement being suclithat the rod 42 and web 43have atendency to force the end portion 38 outwardly as shown in Figure3.

shown in dotted lines in this figure, the mg 39 engages either of theflanges. 400i" 41. to contract the telescoping end portion 32% and thusvary the length of the entire sweep to accommodate it to the size of thepassageand thus eliminate interference with the. moving cutter chain asthe sweep swings near to the \Vhen said sweep: is: swung .outwardly toits extreme position however, as

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latter, at the same time approaching as close- V ly as possible to thecutter chain and approx- 1 r imating the curvature thereof Wherethelatter passes about its sprocket 13c 7 It will be noted that aflanged deflector 38 is fastenedto the outermost end of the end portion38 and is inclined toward the front nel. This deflector assists inpreventing the cuttings at the front side of the sweep from spillingover or being forcedforwardly into the path of the cutter chain when thesweep is being oscillated toward the side opening.

One of the main advantages of the construction above described is theprovision of an improved form of sweep so that the entire height of themachine may be reduced to a minimum, it being understood that the motorB usually forms the largest element on such machines and therefore to alarge degree determines the permissible height of the machine.

Although I have shown and described one form in which my invention maybe embodied, it will be understood that the con struction of the partsand/ or the arrangement thereof may be varied or altered withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my in vention. Therefore, I donot wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific embodimentillustrated, excepting as limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefromprovided with a cutter chain, a portionof said frame and said cutter barforming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly by saidcutter chain, and discharge means for the cuttings including ahorizontally oscillating sweep.

2. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefromprovided with a cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutterbar forming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly bysaid cutter chain, and discharge means for the cuttings including ahorizontally oscillating sweep, and means co-operating with said framefor varying the length of said sweep in varying angular positionsthereof.

3. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefromprovided with a'cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutterbar forming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly bysaid cutter chain, and discharge means for the cuttings including ahorizontally oscillating sweep, the free end of said sweep extendingtoward said cutter chain to remove the cuttings therefrom alternately inone direction and then in the other.

4. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefromprovided with a cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutterbar forming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly bysaid cutter chain, a fixed guide member in said passage for changing thecourse of direction of said cutter chain, and discharge means for thecuttings including a horizontally oscillating sweep rearwardly of saidguide member.

' 5. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projectingtherefrom provided with a cutter chain, a portion of said frame and saidcutter bar forming a passage into which the cuttings are broughtrearwardly by said cutter chain, said passageway opening to the side andrear of said frame rearwardly of said cutter chain, and discharge meansfor the cuttings including a horizontally oscillating sweep, the freeend of said sweep extending in a direction toward said cutter chain andmovable alternately toward the rear end opening of the frame in onedirection and toward the side opening in the other direction.

6. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefromprovided with a cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutterbar forming a passageway into which the cuttings are brought rearwardlyby said cutter chain and having dual including a horizontallyoscillating sweepv movable alternately toward the rear end opening ofsaid frame in one direction and toward the side opening in the otherdirection, and a deflector on the forward end of said sweep inclinedtoward the front and side opening of the machine.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this15th day of June,

7 CHARLES A. PRATT.

